Forget Love Island: The Game - these narrative choice games are way better

Meaningful choices

Love Island: The Game is doing crazy business over on the UK App Store right now. Why? Because everyone loves Love Island the TV show, of course.

We're not going to pretend that we at PG understand this phenomenon of voyeuristically watching young attractive people get down and dirty on a tropical island (that's what it's about, right?).

But we do know a brilliant narrative choice game when we see one. And we're guessing that for a lot of people, Love Island: The Game doesn't fit that description.

When we talk about narrative choice (aka interactive fiction) games, we're talking about story-driven games that let you, the player, influence the course of a game's story by making dialogue or plot choices at key moments.

If you really want to see how good a narrative choice game can be, check out one of these beauties. Or even a bunch of them. The choice is yours.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LIST »

1

Reigns: Her Majesty

You want accessibility and a little sexiness from your narrative choice game? Well, Reigns: Her Majesty pinches its control system from Tinder. It's also deceptively sophisticated, with a branching, looping story that can head off in any number of directions.

2

Another Lost Phone

If none of the other games on this list is as relevant to a young mainstream audience as Love Island: The Game, may we (desperately) direct your attention to Another Lost Phone. What could be more young or mainstream than a narrative game based around the concept of delving into someone's social life through their misplaced smartphone?

3

The Walking Dead: The Game

You want to take control of the narrative of a popular TV show? Check out The Walking Dead games, which grant you the power of life and (un)death over a fresh cast of survivors. Just bring the tissues, okay?

4

Subsurface Circular

Subsurface Circular is like the flip-side of the Love Island: The Game coin. It too is a game driven by multiple narrative choices and a desire to find someone special. In this case, though, 'someone special' is a robotic suspect in an intriguing sci-fi mystery case.

6

The Banner Saga

We've picked the first Banner Saga, but it represents what will soon be a complete trilogy of games. And what brilliant games they are, mixing tactical turn-based combat and tough narrative choices in a brutal Norse myth-inspired world. It's the anti-Love Island: The Game, basically.